


Dragon Rising

by Commander_Lexus



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark Brotherhood - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Werewolf Culture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 21:05:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4537335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Commander_Lexus/pseuds/Commander_Lexus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isobelle Filarial has left the cruel home of her youth, and crossed the Valenwood Border into Skyrim, the land of the Nords. What does she hope to find there? A father she never met, the reason for her Half Nordic blood. But, in finding him, will she lose everything she gains along the way?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crossing Borders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I kinda forgot, and it was brought to my attention that I never discussed Cyrodil's absence from my story. Valenwood and Skyrim do not share a border as you all know, but for this story I kinda moved the map around a bit, because it made more sense for what I have planned for my Character. You'll see what I mean later. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Isobelle,

Your father and I are very worried about you. Please, I know that you are at Rilla's, do not make me send someone after you, because I will. I know you are angry, but sometimes the truth is too awful to ever be revealed. I know that I haven't explained much to you, but please, I beg of you, do not go searching for him. He is nothing but trouble and I don't want to see you get hurt. He will hurt you, little bird, and no one will be able to help you. Please, come home and I will tell you everything.

With Love,

Mom

My tears fall onto the paper, smearing the elegantly written letter my mother sent to me by raven. I rip off the bottom half and scrawl a quick reply.

I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I need to know the truth, and I know you will say anything to keep me from finding him. This is something I have to do. I will find my real father, and when I do, maybe... just maybe, things will fall into place. I can't take the chance that I could be right, and then do nothing about it. I know my future lies in Skyrim, I can feel it. You have to accept that your little bird isnt quite so little anymore. I love you. I'm sorry.

I wipe the tears off my face and fold the parchment neatly, tying it to the Raven's leg, and send it on its way. I stand, watching it fly over the tall trees of my homeland. In the distance, my eyes catch a glimpse of one of the great moving trees my land is known for. I turn back to the house, and open the door. Rilla is standing in her kitchen, stirring a pot of something that smells like cabbage. She turns around and smiles at me, her wide, amber, elven eyes making my heart melt. She lives in a secluded part of the forest, where the trees are still and frozen, an hour's journey from the Valenwood/Skyrim border. She came out this way, because the game is plentiful, and the area is quiet. I walk up to her, wrapping my arms around her waist and rest my chin on her shoulder. "What are you making, love?" I coo softly in her ear. She trembles slightly and lets out a breathy gasp.

"Cabbage stew. I couldn't find any meat in the cupboard, so I just made this instead." She rambles when she's nervous, she gets anxious when she is eager to please me.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. That cabbage was taking up entirely too much storage room anyway." She giggles, and I smile, holding her tighter. She sighs contentedly as I place a gentle kiss on the crook of her neck. "So... this is our last night together before I leave for Skyrim. I don't know when, or even if I'll be back." She sighs sadly.

"Yes, I know. I wish you didn't have to go." I can't help but hear the plaintive tone in her voice. "But, I know this is something that you have to do." She nods her head and resumes her stirring of the stew. Her beautiful, pale face is flushed from the fire, and I feel a wave of intense longing wash over me. "I know that this was never meant to last, but somehow, it did. And in honor of that, can we have just one more night? I just want you to hold me one more time, before you leave me forever." My breath hitches as I struggle to hide my tears. She was right, of course. This was just supposed to be a fling. She knows how I work, and she expected nothing less. But she got so much more because of it. I took it to far, and we both got attached. I feel my resolve soften as she takes the pot off the fire, and steps out of my grasp. She places the pot on the table, and turns to me, her look hungry, but questioning. One last night can't hurt anything... right? In two steps, I am in front of her, our faces almost touching. Her honey sweet scent washes over me as I grab her roughly, and kiss her deeply. She moans into my mouth, and wraps her arms around me, pulling me flush against her. My heart racing, I slide my tongue over her plush bottom lip, sucking on it gently, coaxing her to open her mouth to me. She responds hungrily, her tongue swirling over mine, dashing in and out of my mouth. Our teeth clash as we get sloppy in our rush to undress each other. She quickly tugs open my shirt, baring my supple chest to her. I quickly unlace her dress, and slide it off her shoulders. She shrugs it off and it slides down her soft, warm body, down to her feet. She unlaces my leather pants and tugs them off, never once breaking the kiss. I pull off the rest of my shirt, and pull her closer, bare flesh against bare flesh, the only sound is our heavy breathing as I pull her to the bedroom. The room is cold and dark, so I shoot a firebolt at the fireplace, and lay her down on the bed. The fire is large, and heats the room quickly as I slide my hand down her bare stomach and pause, teasingly, just before reaching her wet core. I smile as she whines is frustration and slide my hand down the rest of the way, gently spreading open her folds and sliding my fingers over her sensitive bud. She moans again, arching her back as I slowly rub in circles, increasing in speed and force gradually. She weaves her hands into my hair as I slowly trail kisses down her neck, over her collarbone, and latch my mouth around one of her bare breasts. She cries out as I add another hand, continuing my movements, but inserting one finger into her tight hole. I slowly pump into her, teasing her with slow, lazy thrusts, and she whimpers. I gently nip at her nipple, and swirl my tongue around it, causing her to buck against me once more. I pause, and trail kisses to the other breast, latching onto her stiff nipple, and repeating the same steps. Her breathing picks up, and she moans again, making me even wetter. She whimpers as she gets closer to her peak, and I slow my ministrations. She groans "Please" and I can feel myself flood my undergarments with my juices. I add two more fingers, and she gasps in shock. Without giving her time to adjust, I ram my fingers into her and bite down gently on her nipple. She weaves her hands even tighter into my hair as I trail kisses down her belly, and nip at her inner thighs, teasing her. She sobs with desire and I decide to stop with the teasing and go straight for the gold. I weave my tongue in intricate patterns through her velvety soft folds, sucking up her juices as she screams in ecstasy. She clamps her thighs around my head as she hits her peak, and I lap up the rest of her juices. Panting, she pulls me up by my hair and kisses me passionately, licking the rest of her fluid from around my mouth. She untangles her hands from my hair as i pull her to me, and we lay side by side on the bed, the roaring fire keeping the chill at bay. I wrap my arms around her waist as tears start to fall from her eyes, and kiss her nose gently. Never before have I felt this way, but I know that it is time for me to let go, and move on. I stand up, releasing her, and bend down to grab a cloak, and hand it to her. I put on mine and we head to the kitchen, where the pot of stew has gone cold. SHe picks it up and places it by the fire again, and I move to grab the bowls when I hear it. I drop to the ground instinctively as the arrow mean for me, flys through the window, and embeds itself into the wall. I wrench it out of the wall and examine the tip from my spot on the ground as Rilla ducks down beside me. Sleeper darts. My stepfather's men no doubt, here to take me back to him. They wont take me alive. I hear two more arrows and I grab Rilla, rolling us toward the wall, and better cover as the two arrows hit the spots we were in. Leaving her in cover, I dash towards the table and grab my scattered clothes and weapons. I duck into the bedroom as five arrows hit the wall behind me. I pull on my clothes quickly, my practiced hands lacing up my armor quickly. I grab my longbow and arrows and perch under the window, notching an arrow and readying myself. I duck my head up slightly and wait for them to take the shot. I see one figure in the trees, perched on a branch, bow at the ready. I stand and drop down as they launch another arrow my way. I return in kind, narrowly avoiding the arrow as I swing out of cover and embed my arrow deep within the archer's skull. I hear faint sounds of outrage, and I know that their patience is wearing thin. I hear Rilla whimper in fear, and I glance over at her. Never being trained for combat can leave one feeling panicked and defenseless, and that is exactly what I see in her gaze. I smile as her and wink, hoping to pull her out of that for an instant before the real fighting begins. I sheath my bow and reach for my daggers as the sound of quiet footsteps grows closer to the door. I carefully, almost silently, creep towards the door as the footsteps stop at the threshold. After what feels like an hour, the door slams open and I spring into action, slicing through my first opponents belly, spilling his guts onto the floor. Throwing him to the ground, I move on to the second attacker driving my dagger into her chest and twisting. SHe coughs blood onto my face as I push her aside, and send my blades flying into the skulls of two more Bosmer Mercs. I reach for my spare daggers and slice the throat of one man, and twist around to kill the other. As i embed my knife into another man's skull, I hear a scream from inside the house.

"Rilla!" I call as I look back. That one mistake cost me dearly as three more advanced on me, grabbing me and throwing me onto the ground. My head hits the ground and my vision blurs as the breath rushes out of me.

"Isobelle! Help me!" I hear Rilla sobbing. Growling, I spring up and slice the three who threw me in the throat, bathing myself in their blood. Thank the Divines for advanced combat training. I scan the area quickly, searching for more people and, finding none, storm back into the house. I enter, and i hear the sounds of muffled sobbing coming from the bedroom. I enter quickly and gasp in horror. A man with a wickedly evil grin is leering down at me, and on her knees, with a knife pressed to her throat, is Rilla, tears streaming down her face.

"Vicino. I should've known he'd send his most loyal dog to bring me back." I spit with malice.

"Ah ah ah, you start talking real nice to me if you want your most lovely companion to walk out of here with her head still on her shoulders." I stand stock still, not noticing the sounds of two more men grab me from behind and push me to my knees, grabbing my arms and locking on. I struggle, but to no avail. "Now that we are all comfortable, let's talk." He smiles down at me again, with pure joy in his eyes. "You are going to come back home with me, and you will accept your punishment for killing my men," I scoff and he raises his brow. "Something funny to you?" I smile up at him.

"Those are my step-father's men, you dumb skeever's ass. You are nothing more than one of his little pets he keeps close and well fed." I flick my eyes down to his bulbous stomach, and smile sweetly. Rage flashes in his eyes, and he slides the knife slightly across Rilla's neck, drawing a thin line of blood. I feel the blood leave my face as I realize her situation fully.

"You know... I don't have to let the girl live. Your father would prefer it that way, mind you. Told me himself that he didn't want his only daughter to be flouncing about with a Strider, let alone a woman. Risky place you put your family's name in, fucking some outcast whore." I try to charge him, growling in anger, but the men are too strong. Vicino smiles again. "So really, if you agree to come back with us, we don't have to let your father know she still lives know do we?" Smart move, for a pawn to make. He knows I'd likely give them the slip before we got back to the Estate.

"Isobelle, no! You have to do this! You have to go! You can't stay here, you know what he'll do." I do know what he'll do. He'd chain me up in the basement again, leaving me there for weeks until i beg forgiveness. And the lashings... all the lashings. My back is laced with the marks of his cruelty. But I can't let her die. I know now, looking into her eyes, that I love her. I can't let her die. She must see the decision written across my face, because panic flashes in her eyes. Her breath picks up as her eyes harden with resolve. Vicino lets out a suppressed yelp as she bites down hard into his free hand, feigning and escape attempt.

"Stupid whore!" Vicino yells, and grabs her roughly by her beautiful black hair and places the knife against her neck. 'Well girl, looks like your more trouble than you are worth." He brings up the knife as I scream her name and fight with all my might against the very strong guards. Laughing maniacally, he slides the blade across her delicate skin, and crimson blood spills over her half naked form. We lock eyes as she falls to the floor, and she mouths the words 'I love you.' Tears in my eyes, I whimper,

"I love you too, Rilla." As her face and body grows still, the pool of blood reaches me, and I look into my glistening expression. Wide, ice blue eyes, delicately curved upwards are pouring a waterfall of silent tears. Long, delicate nose, leading to a full, gently curved mouth. Pale white face, smattered with dried blood and dirt. Long, thick blonde hair hanging loose around my waist, the only really noticeable sign of my half Nord blood. As I study my reflection, i wonder what Rilla had seen in me that had warranted such a sacrifice. No one would ever take a Nord/Bosmer hybrid seriously as a life partner, and until Rilla, no one did. I feel an aching emptiness as her blood warms my suddenly cold body. Determining me to be in a state of shock, they drop my arms, and I fall forward. I crawl slowly to Rilla's still warm body, and cradle her to me. Her beautiful, amber eyes stare blankly into the heavens, and I pray to Hircine, her Lord, beg for him to grant her entrance into his realm. I gently close her eyes, and kiss her forehead.

"I don't understand what you're so broken up about," Vicino calls to me. "She was a Strider, an outcast by choice. If she wanted something better than this, she would have stayed at home like a good elf, and been married to some lord. Someone who could treat her much better than you ever could. She got what she deserved, breaking tradition like that." I pull her closer, knowing she would have hated being married off to some asshole who would never treat her like an equal. I feel rage breach the cold numbness that had overtaken me. I gently lay her body down, and fold her hands over her body. I stand slowly, and I feel the dried blood crack on my skin. I turn slowly towards the three people talking in hushed tones, not realizing what I was about to do. They thought that they had broken me, but they had only awakened the burning rage I kept buried inside. I raise my hands and dual cast an fire bolt at the two lackeys, heads, and aim a third for Vicino. Screaming, they frantically try to pat out the fire. I bolt over and grab the dagger Vicino had killed my love with, and bury it in the skull of the first screaming man. The second, I kick in the balls and stab him in the throat twisting it, then dragging it across his neck. Vicino, I grab and throw to the floor. I launch two more firebolts at his balls, and he screams in agony, thrashing around in the blood of three people, putting out the fire. As he struggles to get up, I embed the knife in his side, just above the hipbone, and force it up, cutting all the way to his ribs, spilling his guts onto the floor. I grin in triumph as he falls to the floor in agony, and I grab him roughly by the collar.

"I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill you very slowly, and when I'm done, i'm going to burn you and all your friends in the yard. But I will leave your head, on a spike, as a message to anyone who tries to fuck with me again. I am not someone to be trifled with, and I have been abused too long. But how about I use some of the things done to me, on you? That sounds like a lot of fun, and obviously, you won't be going anywhere. Feel free to scream, no one will hear you. Guess that's one advantage to being a lowly Strider, eh?" And I live up to my promise, emerging an hour later, covered in the blood of four people. I carry the bodies out of the house, and throw Vicino's head onto the ground to save for later. I light up all 13 bodies, and watch them blaze for a bit, before going to a nearby tree, and cutting off a strong branch. I throw it next to the head and go inside. I clear off the table in the kitchen, and head to the bedroom. I place another log on the pile for light and heat, and gently pick up Rilla's still body. I carry her outside, past the pile of burning flesh, and over to a nearby clearing that the creek runs through. I remove her robe, and place her in the creek, washing the blood from her body and hair. When she is clean, I wrap her in clean furs, and carry her back into the house. Returning to the room, I sift through her drawers until I find her favorite green dress. I carefully dress her, and brush out her hair. Leaving her there on the table, I go back outside, and build a pyre. The sun is just brightening the horizon as I carry her body to the pyre and place her gently upon the furs and branches. I say a brief prayer to the Divines, and ready the torch. Just as the sun breaches the horizon, I throw the torch onto the pyre, and pray to Auriel for his blessing and guidance, as her body is consumed by the hungry flame. As the sun continues to rise, and the fire burns, I sharpen the spike and hammer it into the ground. I pick up Vicino's head and slam it down onto the spike. I smile at his face, eyes rolled back, mouth agape, blood smeared over every inch. Sighing, I head back into the house and grab my things, pack food, and upon scanning the room for anything I had missed, I see Rilla's necklace still laying on the floor by the fireplace. I walk over to it and pick it up. It is an emerald, set into a silver snake design. I slide the blood encrusted jewel over my head and head out of the house for the final time. Blinking in the sunlight I look back at the trees of Valenwood. For so long, it's beautiful woods had been a gilded prison of gold. I look up at the snowy mountains of a strange new land, and a small, strange happiness stirs in me as I feel the stirrings of something foreign to me. Free, i feel free. For the first time, I am free. I smile at the thought, as I close the door behind me, and head towards the border of a land so strange, that it would change my very being. Ulfric... father, I will find you, and I will know the truth...


	2. Whispers, Warnings, and Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isobelle has finally crossed the border, but when things go wrong, will she be able to come out of it alive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, I am super excited for this one! It's been a while since i last wrote this fic, but I have such grand plans for it!! If you like this work, check out my other story An Alternate Universe. I don't nessicarily have a plan for that one, but it practicaly writes itself. Anyway, just letting you know that later on its going to get pretty graphic and may be a trigger for certain people. I'll let you know when that chapter comes so you can skip it. Anyway, love you guys and thanks for reading!!

"Divines..." I breathe as I finally reach the peak of the mountain. I pull myself up and brush the snow off of my bloodstained armor. Afraid to stop, I had not had the time to make myself fur armor out of the skins I had packed into my bag. I look up and gasp as I take in my surroundings. Past the sharp edges of the snow covered mountains, the land rolls in gentle waves, gradually giving way to snowy trees and disappearing into the horizon. I pull up my map and trace the paths of the rivers. I try to plan a route down, but am distracted by the looming shadow of a mountain over the small city of Whiterun. I look up to the top, where the clouds have gathered to hide the peak of the so called 'Throat of the World.' I feel a sense of Deja Vu sweep over me as my eyes pass over High Hrothgar. I shake my head to clear my thoughts, and plan my route across the mountains. I finally decide to make camp in the valley, next to the river, and see what game I can catch before heading off in the morning. It takes me the rest of the day to climb my way down the rocky mountain face, and night is just starting to fall as i reach the river. Working quickly, I grab as many dry branches and tinder as I can, and build myself a small fire to keep warm. I slide my pack off, and drop it next to the fire, sifting through it's contents. I pull out my canteen and fill it from the river. I place it next to the fire to warm it and I roll out the furs I brought with me and begin cutting through them with my knife. I pull out a thick cord and lace it through a needle and begin working on a cloak to keep me warm. In the valley, it is still warm enough to survive, and I cannot see my breath in the air, but the closer I get to Skyrim, the colder it gets. The air is very thin as well, and I find it hard to adjust. I have never left my Homeland before, in all my 95 years. Perhaps, if I were not a bastard, I would've seen the world at some man's side, as his bride. Or be subjected to more torture and rape. I shake my head to clear these thoughts as I wrap my finished cloak around myself. A perfect fit, or course. I always was good with a needle. I lay it out on the ground, and take a swig of the warm water in my canteen. I place it back next to the fire and lay back on the soft furs. Looking up at the stars, I sigh. Rilla always loved the stars. She said that every star was the soul of someone who had passed away. _What a joke._ The sky looks no different than it did two nights before. _Stop living with your head in the clouds Isobelle. She's gone, let the dead rest._ I sigh heavily and lean my head back further. Just as I am about to doze off, a slight movement in my peripheral catches my eye. Slowly, I raise myself, acting as if I had seen nothing, and I adjust my position to get a better view. Two yellow eyes, small and close to the ground, are peeping out at me. I stand slowly, so as not to disturb the creature, and scan the rest of the area. It appears that the creature is alone. I move towards it, and it takes off into the trees, racing silently through the underbrush. Feeling slightly uneasy, I sit back down and wait for a good hour. Finally, after feeling sure that the creature is gone, I lay back down and fall into a dreamless sleep. I am woken to the sound of birds as the sunrise approaches. I grab my bow and creep towards the edge of the woods, hoping to catch something to eat for the journey. I manage to kill two pheasants, and a quail. I take my catch over to the fire and grab some branches to light it up again. Once I get it started, I pluck the feathers off the birds and clean them, before skewering them on sticks and placing them over the fire. Its just as I've begun packing everything back up, when I hear a slight rustling in the branches to my right. I look over, and see those two yellow eyes staring into my own once more. I stand slowly once more, and when it makes no sign of moving, I take a few steps closer. I hear it growl slightly, as my foot moves to take another step. I pause, and slowly reach for my daggers, just in case. The creature follows this movement with its eyes, and then takes off once more. After it has left, I examine the area it was in, and find huge, wolf-like tracks. But this creature is much larger than any I've seen before. Perhaps it's a Direwolf, a rare breed. My eyes glaze over as I remember Rilla telling me about them.

_"They say that the Direwolf holds the very spirit of the wild. To kill one... in the old days they considered it a sin. A spit in the face of the Divines." She moves closer, a mischievous glint in her eye. I grab her close, and nibble on her ear. She gasps and pulls back. "It was said, that if you were to ever look one in the eyes, your soul would be consumed by the power of the beast, that you would turn into one, doomed to live as an outcast, never to look another in the face again, lest history repeat itself." She giggles. "Perhaps that is why I felt compelled to make a home here. I have looked straight into the eyes of such a beast, and the call of the Wilds has never left me since."_

_"Well, how fortunate it is, that I was able to run across you here, and keep your lonely soul company." I laugh. Her face grows serious, and I instantly regret my words._

_"I am not lonely. I am surrounded by life incarnate." She smiles at that. "I am not like those other elves... the ones who play at love, and dabble in friendship."_

_"I know you aren't, love. I never mean it that way." She pulls me close._

_"I know you didn't, Iso. I know you didn't..."_

I shake my head to clear my thoughts, and smile to myself. I suppose now I too, will be consumed by the desire to stay in the woods. I laugh slightly, shaking my head. What a small world it is, to be confronted by such a beast, when the call of wild lands had already claimed my soul. Perhaps by gazing into her Wild touched eyes, the power touched me as well. Smiling to myself, I pack all of my things, and swing my pack over my shoulder, and pull my loose hair into a tight braid. I stomp out the fire and begin to make my way through the valley, and up the mountain. Eventually, I lose track of the time, and it is nearing sunset when I finally reach the crest of the final mountain. Taking the route through the valley cut my journey time in half, leaving me with only two more mountains to traverse before I enter the flatlands. I pull out my map to read in the dying light, and trace my new route. If I follow this pilgrims path to the Ancient's Ascent, I can veer west towards Peaks Shade Tower and make camp there for the night before heading off to Falkreath. Once I get there, I can sell my skins, and buy a horse, make my way up to Riverwood for a few days, see about making some money. Then I'll buy some food and be on my way. _Seems easy enough..._ _maybe I'll even explore some ancient ruins before heading up to meet my father. I wonder what he'll be like_... It's right as I have this thought, that my ears make out the distant sounds of laughter and singing. I can just make it out... "Oh there once was a hero named Ragnar the Red..." I examine my surroundings. With night approaching quickly, I will have no choice but to make camp soon, but even with this cold night air, I wouldn't want to start a fire that they could see. They could be bandits for all I know. My only option is to scout out the area, and see if it would be safe to approach them and make camp with them. _**It would be safer that way anyway, if Ardric's men come looking for you again.**_ _Yes, yes, I know. But what if they're bandits or slavers?_ _ **Don't be seen.**_ I scoff at the voice in my head. Every now and then, when I would be really lonely, locked away in the basement, I would hear a voice in my head that would tell me everything would be ok. More and more often, it seems, this strange voice will pop into my head and speak to me, telling me things and encouraging me. Something my mother never did. _You know... if people knew I heard a voice in my head, the would probably have me locked up for being crazy._ _ **The solution to that problem is simple, don't tell them I speak to you.**_ I bark a laugh, and clap my hand over my mouth. I crouch down quickly and wait. When the sounds of relverie have not died down, I slowly stand back up. _You're going to get me in trouble!_ _ **I did nothing, I was simply stating an obvious solution to allay your fears.**_ _Well obviously I'm not going to tell anyone about you, that would be crazy._ _ **Indeed it would, my darling, indeed it would.**_ I slowly creep my way towards the east side of the mountain, and the sounds of singing get louder and louder, until I finaly see the light from the fire glowing on the trees. I hear a slight growl next to me, and I whip around. It's those same yellow eyes, wide and unblinking, staring at my through the bushes. It growls again, low and quiet, and gently whines. I creep towards it, and it backs up just as slowly. I pick up my pace a little, and it returns in kind. It whines once more, low and long, before snorting at me. I shake my head at it, feeling the chill of the night seep through the furs. _Silly animal, it's too cold to play games._ I turn back around to head towards the camp, when I feel it grab onto my cloak and pull. I whip around, snarling and it growls low once more before taking off into the trees. Feeling rather proud of myself for being able to intimidate such a fierce animal, I once again make my way silently to the camp. Crouching low, I take cover behind some trees and watch with wide eyes at the sight before me. Large, muscular Nord men and women are dancing about the fire, all dressed in blue light armor. Near the back is a large tent, with two men inside. One wearing a uniform made of bear skin, a bear's head resting proudly atop his head. Next to him is a blonde man, with a hair braided in places and swept back, and a light beard. His armor is made of some type of fur, and metal, making him look like some type of Lord. _Perhaps he is a general._ _ **No, my dear, He is far more important than that.**_ _Who is he?_ _ **He... is the Leader of a rebellion.**_ _Rebellion? In Skyrim? I thought this was undisputed Legion lands._ _ **Not anymore my dear, not anymore. This man is trouble, for everyone. Leave this place, it is not safe here. We should heed the Direwolf's warning.**_ _Warning? What was it..._ it's then that I hear screams break out on the far east side of the camp. Everyone scrambles for a weapon as Legion soldiers begin pouring in from both sides. _**Isobelle, we must leave... NOW!**_ I turn away from the screams of dying men and begin to creep my way towards the next mountain. Before I can react, I hear the sounds of running, followed by a heavy blow to the head.

"An elf? Here?"

"Didn't know he was bringing his servants along with him..."

"Look at her, there's no way she's a part of his company, clothes a mess, covered in... blood?"

"Nothing to be done for it now. Lirea, see that she is stripped of belongings and put her with the others, that includes the clothes..."

"Yes sir!" I feel warm, rough hands on my skin right before my vision swims, and I plunge into darkness...

I am woken by a jolt as the wagon slowly makes its path downwards. My vision is still foggy as I try to take in my surroundings. Before me is a blonde, muscular man with pale blue eyes, to his left is another man, much smaller with dark brown hair and eyes, clothed in the same rags I am. And to my right, bound and gagged, is the Lord the voice warned me about. I do not miss his hungry eyes roaming over my lithe form, and I feel slightly ill.

"Hey, you. Finally awake. You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us. And that thief over there."

'Damn you Stormcloaks..." Stormcloaks? What? That doesn't make any sense. _Why would they name a rebellion after my Father? Hello?_ I sigh, the voice has left me once again, and in a time of great need at that. My eyes catch a glimpse of a large white animal following our carraige throught the trees, flashing yellow eyes at me. My heart warms as I realize it is the same Direwolf that tried to save me from this. "What's wrong with him, huh?"

"Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!" I feel my heart stop.

"Ulfric... the Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the Rebellion... and if they captured you... Oh Gods, where are they taking us?" Oh Gods indeed. If this truly is my Father, and he truly is the Leader of a rebellion against the legion... I sigh.

"They are taking us to our execution, obviously. Nothing to be done for it now, I suppose." I look to the sky as I say this, feeling the pull of something like destiny, tuggin at my soul. I suppose this was meant to be then... it certainly feels as if it is. I look over at my father as the others talk, hoping to catch his eye, so I can tell him. When he does finally look at me, it is with such malice that I instantly flinch and look away. Oh well, not like he could say anything anyway. No reason to make him feel bad about getting his daughter killed. I feel very uneasy, and shift slightly aways from him, brushing knees with the other Blonde.

"Look at him. General Tullius, the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him, damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this." I flinch again and scooch back to my original spot. It is clear to me that my kind are not welcome here. He looks up at me apologetically, as if to say, not you. "This is Helgen," He looks around searchingly. "I used to be sweet on a girl from here... I wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with Juniper berries mixed in." He laughs humorlessly. "Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe." Behind us I hear a boy talking to his father, ignorant of what is about to happen.

"But I want to watch the soldiers." His father sends him inside, but I can tell the boy will still find a way to watch. We pull up next to a tower and we all hop out, waiting for our names to be called. Lokir, the coward, makes a run for it when his name is called. I am the last one standing by the carriage when they finally realize I'm not on their list.

"Wait, you there! Step forward." I slowly walk towards the dark haired, kind eyed man. He looks me up and down and back to his list, brow furrowed. "Who are you?"

I roll my shoulders back and hold my head high. "Isobelle..." I struggle for a last name, quickly deciding on Rilla's "Filarial, of Valenwood, sir."

He shakes his head and writes something on the list. "You picked a bad time to come to Skyrim, elf. Captain, what should we do? She's not on the list."

"Forget the list, she goes to the block."

He sighs. "By your orders, Captain." He turns back to me and murmurs "I'm sorry, we'll have your remains shipped back to Valenwood for burial." I nod and smile slightly at him for this small kindness. "Follow the Captain... prisoner..."


	3. Escaping Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dragon saves our hero from getting her head chopped off, and she finds herself in the most interesting company as she makes her escape.

I sigh as the loud-mouthed man who went before me gets his head cleaved from his shoulders, and lands in a basket. _Lovely._ I glance over at my father... _the Voice... he knows how to use the damn voice. No wonder they gagged him, he would've shouted his way through his captors easily had they not._ **_His use of the voice is corrupt, I sense a darkness in him._** _Oh hush, you sense a darkness in everyone._ _ **This is different.**_ _Oh? How so?_ _ **Quiet child, now your path is clear.**_ _Yea, clearly I'm going to get my head chopped off. One hell of a path I got._ A second roar echos through the valley, silencing my internal dialogue.

"There it is again, did you hear that?" The kind man looks over at the Captain for confirmation.

"I said, next prisoner!"

"By the Divines, very snappish today, are we? You nearly bit my head off." Nervous laughter follows my snarky remark, and the kind man smiles at me humorlessly.

"To the block prisoner, nice and easy." I roll my shoulders back and raise my chin as I make my way to the block. To think, I came all this way, so close to telling my father who I am, only to end up looking down upon a head that has, quite frankly, seen better days. I meet the man's warm brown eyes and he holds my gaze as the Captain, surprisingly, gently pushes me onto my knees, and bends me over the block. I look up at the masked headsman and his bloody axe, as yet another roar slices through the air, and a gust of wind stirs the trees atop the mountain. I hear the rushing of wingbeats, as a large mass soars over the ridge, and another, much louder roar washes over the valley.

"What in Oblivion is that?" I hear General Tullius exclaim.

"Sentries, what do you see?" is she blind? Does she not see the beast flying this way? It lands atop the tower, and with one last thrust of its wings, sends the headsman flying. It opens its mouth, whispering strange words, which blast through the air, summoning a swirl of clouds and knocking me onto my side, a good foot from the block. Flaming rocks hail down upon us, and chaos erupts all around me as soldiers get into position, and civilians make a break for it.

"Hey elf!" I look up in a blurry haze, only barley making out the face of the Nord from the wagon. He gestures frantically for me to follow. "Come on! The gods won't give us another chance!" He stands and starts running towards a tower. "This way!" I follow him, barely keeping myself from falling over the debris. I leap through the door and it slams shut behind me. I can barely hear anything, and my eyes struggle to bring the room into focus as I turn around to face the muffled, yet deep timbre of another man's voice.

I look between the two blurry men, barely able to make out the words "Legends don't burn down villages" Must be referring to the flying daedra outside. _A fucking dragon. Like we needed one of those in our already fucked up world._

"Up through the tower! Let's go!" The first man takes off, and I follow, feeling eyes on my back as I make my way up. I look down and see Ulfric looking up at me, and the look on his face turns my blood to ice. _Why does he make me feel so dirty?_ My question never receives an answer as the dragon busts through the wall on the landing, and roasts one of the men alive. Ralof pulls me up from where I have crouched, and leads me quickly up to where the dragon had just been. " See the inn on the other side?" He points below us and I nod, dreading his next words. "Jump through the roof and keep going!" I take a few steps back to get a good momentum, but I don't want to leave them behind. "Go! We'll follow when we can!" I nod and take a running leap and soar across the gap, landing hard on my side. I push myself up and take a deep breath, but I am suffocated by smoke. It hangs thick and heavy in the air as I make my way towards the other side, looking for stairs. I fall through a hole in the floor, and barely have enough time to take another choking breath, before I spot the exit. I race towards it and emerge into the light. I brace my arms on my legs and take deep breaths and attempt to cough out the burning sensation in my chest as the dragon continues to burn everything around me.

"Don't look up, just focus on me!" A familiar voice calls. I look around and find that the kind man is trying to coax the same child who wanted to watch the soldiers over to him. The shadow of the beast grows large and the man visibly panics. "Haming, you need to get over here. Now!" The beast lands right behind the boy as he takes off running. "That a boy, You're doing great." They run for cover, and the man gestures to an elder "Torolf!" to get out of the way and into cover as the dragon lets out a geyser of flame. "Gods...Everyone get back!" He grabs me by the waist and slams me to the ground as the flames lick at the place i was standing. He lies on top of me, my bound hands pinned between us. He looks surprised to see me alive. "Still alive prisoner?" A note of admiration enters his voice as he hauls me to my feet. "Keep close to me if you want to stay that way." I nod at him and he tells his friend, Gunmar, to look after the boy. "I'm going to find General Tullius and join the defence."

"Gods guide you Hadvar!" The man calls as we take off running.

"Hadvar, eh? Quite the interesting name you've got there."

"Stay close to the wall!" He shouts to me as he crouches down. I follow suit, staying a respectful arms distance as the beast lands right above us, his wing almost brushing my side. I scoot away from it and press against Hadvar. I look up as the creatures powerful jaws open, and another stream of flame erupts from his mouth. I must be crazy, but I swear it's saying something, I just can't make it out under the roar of the flame. It takes off, and Hadvar doesn't miss a beat, shooting up and taking off. "Quickly, follow me!" I race after him through another burning building, tactfully ignoring the burning corpses and the sickly sweet smell of the smoke. I hear General Tullius shout to head to the keep, and Hadvar changes course. I follow him down a hill and through an archway into what looks to be a military outpost. "It's you and me, Prisoner. Stay close!" I pick up the pace as we run into the stormcloak man who had me jump into the inn. "Ralof! You damned traitor. Out of my way!" I start at the force of the anger in this seemingly gentle man's voice.

"We're escaping, Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time."

"Fine, I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde!"

"You! Come on! Into the keep!"

"With me, prisoner. Let's go!" The dragon swoops overhead again, and Hadvar turns back to see if I follow. His warm, brown eyes seem to call out to me, and I glance over in Ralof's direction. He's already run inside. I make my choice and run towards Hadvar. He grabs me by the waist and barrels through the door, slamming it shut behind us. He releases me and moves into what looks to be the barracks. "Looks like we're the only ones that made it. Was that really a dragon? The bringers of the End Times?" I stay silent as I struggle against my bindings. "We should keep moving." He looks over at me, and purses his lips. "Come here. Let me see if I can get those bindings off." He unsheathes a dagger as I step forward, and gently takes my hands and cuts through the rope in one swift motion. He looks down at my ragged clothes. "I'm sure you could find some clothes in that chest over there." I nod and head towards it, pocketing some gold pieces along the way. I approach the chest and open it to find some Imperial Armor, a sword, and a key. I slip off my tunic and foot wraps before sliding on the worn armor and shoes. The fit is tight, and uncomfortable, but still flexible enough. I swing my new sword a few times, before noticing that Hadvar is staring at me. "Lets keep moving. That thing is still out there." He heads towards the door and pulls a chain on the wall, opening the trapdoor, and steps through. I follow him around he corner when the sound of voices meets my ears. "Hear that?" He whispers, I nod and pause. "Stormcloaks." As we get closer to the door, he turns back to me, his hands up in a placating gesture. "Maybe we can reason with them" I roll my eyes.

"Yea, as if today was any indication of how reasonable they can be, then we should be fine." _Had me jump out a damn window... Divines help us all._ I pull the chain and he walks in, and before he can get two words out, I hear them unsheath their weapons. I spring into action, quickly assessing the situation. There are two people, a woman with a simple sword and hide shield, and a large man wielding a great sword. Hadvar lunges towards the man, and their swords clash, Hadvar, form impeccable, nearly runs through the larger man, but the woman slices at his back, ripping through his armor. I lunge myself towards her, dealing blow after blow with her. Distantly I realize that the large man falls, and I deliver a swift kick to the woman's unguarded knee. I slice my sword across her belly and she screams in agony, falling to the floor as her insides spill forth. I lean in close and whisper "Your form could use a little work." Her eyes widen in fear as I draw back and end her. I kneel down and sift through the contents of her pack, and find it sorely lacking. Had her armor not have been ruined by her blood, I would have stripped her of it and kept it to sell. Hadvar moves toward the door, fiddling with the lock and curses under his breath as I loot the larger man.

"It's locked!" I clear my throat and he looks over at me. I hold up the key from the chest and his eyes light up. I toss it to him and he unlocks the door as I stuff the man's armor into my new knapsack. We head through the door and down the stairs, the sounds of the dragon slowly fading. We enter a dimly lit hallway, where up ahead is a group of people. We pick up our pace to catch up to them when the dragon screeches once more, and the roof collapses in front of us. "Damn, that dragon sure doesn't give up." I sigh and open a doorway to my left and step through into a well lit store room/kitchen. Around the corner are two more stormcloak men, and I spring into action, nearly decapitating one, and rolling out of the way of the others sword. I hear a grunt and the sound of metal against bone as Hadvar digs his sword into the other man's spine, and pushes it through his heart.

"Thank you." He nods, wiping the blood off of his sword.

"An old storeroom." He gestures to our surroundings. "See if you can find some potions. They might come in handy." He walks over to the desk and props himself up on the table, obviously in pain from the wound on his back. I rifle through the whole room, only finding three health potions and two magic potions. I sheath my sword and walk over to him.

"Here, let me see your back." He looks confused but does as I say. I place my hand on his wound gently and summon a ball of healing light. He sighs in relief as my magic stitches up his muscle and skin. "You should have told me it was bad, I could've helped you sooner." I examine the area where the new pink scar has formed, making sure i had gotten it all.

"I didn't realize you were a healer." I laugh.

"I am many things, but a healer, I am not. I am, however, well versed in magic." He nods, and turns to face me.

"Done then? This way." He opens the door and charges off towards another set of stairs, where the sound of combat meets my ears once more. "The torture room. Gods, I wish we didn't need these." I feel my breath catch in my throat at the first sight of the cages. My skin grows cold as Hadvar rushes forward into the fray, defending the other two Imperials. I shake off the feeling and dive into combat seconds too late. Hadvar cuts down the last woman, and turns to look at me with confusion in his eyes. He rushes towards me, "Why did you not fight?" I shake my head and offer him a shaky smile.

"Well it was a three to two battle. I knew you would be fine." I shrug nonchalantly and sift through the contents of the first stormcloak's pack. I hear Hadvar sigh in frustration and I try to still my shaking hands.

"You fellows happened along just in time. These boys seemed a bit upset at how I've been entertaining their comrades."

"Don't you even know what's going on? A dragon is attacking Helgen!" I move to the barred room and begin taking gold and weapons from the shelves and walls, stuffing them neatly in the pack.

"A dragon?" He scoffs and moves to watch me. I try to avoid looking around the room too much. "Don't make up nonsense." I move to the knapsack on the table and empty it, examining the lockpicks and the book beside it. Next to it is a bloodstained dagger. I ignore it and move to stand beside Hadvar.

"Wait a second. Looks like there's something in this cage." I follow Hadvar to the locked cage where a novice mage is lying dead amongst gold and a spell book.

"Don't bother with that. Lost the key ages ago. Poor fellow screamed for weeks." Hadvar turns to me with a look of disgust at that.

"See if you can get it open with some picks. We'll need everything we can get." I nod and get to work, feeling a sense of Deja Vu.

 _The room is dark and damp, and my skin aches where the sores have opened up again. I try to summon some healing light, but to no avail. I'm too weak, I need something to eat or I'll never get to heal myself, and it will probably get infected. I look around, and a small plate by the door catches my attention. I shuffle over to it, and clutch at the crumbs of stale bread left to me by my father's men. I practically inhale it, ignoring the taste of mold and slime. It lands in my belly with a hollow plop as my hands skim the plate once more. My hands brush against a round, metal pointed object, to small to be used as a real weapon. My hands fumble over it, and I realize its a lockpick! My heart soars with joy at the thought of leaving this cursed home forever. My unpracticed hands try to coax the lock into a proper position and i get to work. I scream in frustration as I realize I need something to turn the lock once the pins are in place._ Damn it! **Patience my child, patience. There will come a day when you have the skills to leave here, but you must have patience. Heal yourself, don't let yourself become sick and complacent to him**. _I nod and I settle back as the light from a torch approaches and a man's voice calls out._

"Grab what you can and lets go. We don't have all day." Hadvar leans in close as I spring the lock and shake the memory away. "What happened?" I shake my head and fill the pack with the supplies and robes. I take off after him, leaving the room and down a hallway lined with prison cells. I start to shake as I pass by each one. We move down into a room with hanging cages and fire. I shake off the memories that try to grab at me, as we head to the hole in the wall at the back.


	4. Returning a Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a friendly gesture turns into something more, Isobelle will find any excuse to leave. Little does she know what doing favors will lead to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So due to the fact that I am biased with my work, I am actively looking for a beta. Just let me know if you are interested. Thanks!

"Well that was fun, wasn't it?" I punch Hadvar on the shoulder lightly as I fling the bear pelt over my shoulder. He smiles back at me right as the sound of approaching wing beats reaches our ears.

"Get down!" He hisses and drags me behind a rock. The beast soars overhead, and we wait for what feels like an hour before either of us are brave enough to stand up. "Damn... A dragon. I thought those were just legends..." he turns and assesses the terrain.

"Legends don't burn down villages." I intone jokingly, but then shudder as I remember the look that went with those words. _What the hell is wrong with that man? He was looking at me like I was meat._ **_Do not concern yourself with it child. Your path will soon go elsewhere._** _What does that mean?_ My question is met with silence and I shake my head in annoyance. _You are so damn cryptic_. We reach a group of standing stones and he stops. "What are those?" He smiles kindly at me.

"They are standing stones. They each represent a constellation, go ahead and choose one." I purse my lips and approach them slowly, wondering what choosing a silly stone will do for me. I instantly regret my hasty thoughts as I step into the circle. I am instantly draw to the left one, its power calling to me. Captivated I place my hand upon the stone and become frozen as the seemingly inanimate stone lights up and shoots a beam into the sky. The warmth of the light flows into me, and seeps into my very bones. Just as suddenly as it captured me, it releases me and I back away panting. I look over at Hadvar, eyes wide and questioning and he just shakes his head. "The thief stone. You know... it's never too late to choose your own path." I smile at him ruefully as I pick up the pace. We go a little further before he points out a barrow atop a mountain overlooking the village. The sight of it unnerves me, but I make a note to visit there anyway. _Never know what you can find in old abandoned crypts._ We start off again at a brisk place towards the village in the distance. "That's Riverwood up ahead. I have family there." He calls back to me as I eye the river longingly. _What I wouldn't give for a bath._ I get so involved in my fantasies of bathing I don't notice the wolf that has approached me from the side until he is upon me, teeth bared and throwing me onto the ground. I turn over just in time to avoid getting my throat ripped out by the feral beast and I stand quickly, reaching for my dagger, and finding the sheath empty. I hear Hadvar fighting off the other two wolves behind me, and I prepare myself for the worst. The creature moves to lunge at me and before I can grapple with it a massive blur of fur slams into the side of it and throws it down, teeth bared. The Dire wolf rips through the lesser wolf's throat and shakes it's head, flinging blood everywhere as the smaller beast cries out in agony. I take the time to scramble over to my dagger and swiftly kill the second wolf attacking Hadvar, allowing him the chance to strike down the third. Blessed silence falls over us as the Dire wolf turns to face me, warm amber eyes shining through the pure white fur. I am captivated by the eyes that seem to pull at something buried away. I crouch down and beckon the creature forward and it obliges, nuzzling its head under my hand. I rub the great beast behind the ears as Hadvar draws closer. "What in Oblivion is that?"

"A Dire wolf." He shakes his head and back away slightly.

"How did you tame that thing? Those are very dangerous animals." I look up at him and furrow my brows.

"Honestly, I didn't. She approached me, even tried to warn me away when I saw the Stormcloak camp from a distance. I should've listened." I lean down to its ear and whisper "Thank you for being there." It draws back and meets my eyes, snorting in approval. I smile and stand, gesturing for the very confused man to lead the way.

"A Dire wolf of legend  _helping_ some one? Now I  _know_ the world's truly gone mad." He mutters under his breath as he picks up the pace. It is already approaching night when we finally get into town, and Hadvar heads straight for the Smithy. "Uncle!" He shouts to the tall Nord man in blacksmith's robes.

"Hadvar? What are you doing here?" I admire my surroundings as they talk, Hadvar hastily explaining the situation, and introducing me as his friend. I blush a little as he overstates my part in our escape. The man, Alvor, leads us inside and sits us at a table and his wife pours us both a hearty bowl of soup. I thank her and she smiles in return. I wolf down my soup and watch Hadvar's little cousin play with the Dire wolf, her mother watching closely for any sign of hostility. The creature is being surprisingly gentle and patient as the little girl pets it. The voices fall silent and I realize that the attention has turned to me. I think back to what they were talking about and I shrug.

"Yes, of course. I'll make my way there in the morning." I finish my bowl and lean back, letting my eyes drift shut for a moment. I wake up to realize that the fire has died slightly, and fresh clothes have been placed in front of me. I shake my head at how easily I fell asleep in a strange place and gather the clothes to me. It's a set of light leather armor with a pair of steel daggers and a hunting bow. I smile and bat tears from my eyes at the obvious gesture of thanks and make my way quietly out the door. I make my way to the edge of town and place the new things beside the river. I grab up the freshly skinned wolf pelt and wash it off in the river and lay it out to dry. I then strip naked and wade into the cold water. Gooseflesh raises on my skin and I gasp a bit in the cold winter air. I didn't think about how _freezing_ it would be. I find myself wishing I had taken more time to learn destruction magic. Cold water would've never been a problem then. I hear the sound of footsteps behind me and freeze, covering my chest, and keeping my back to the onlooker.

"Isn't that water cold." I relax as I recognize the light timbre of his voice.

"Hello Hadvar. Didn't anyone tell you staring is rude?" He laughs and moves closer, whistling low as he sees the gifts I received.

"That's some nice gear. When Uncle Alvor asked about your skills, I hadn't expected him to do anything like this."

"It's too much. I would return it if I didn't need it so much." He chuckles.

"He would've been upset had you refused it. He doesn't make armor for just anyone." I turn my head to face him.

"Is there something you needed Hadvar?" He clears his throat nervously.

"Yes, I just wanted to thank you for not slitting my throat while you had the chance." I smile wryly and turn my face towards the moon.

"Had it been anyone else, Hadvar, I doubt they would've been so kind." He laughs at that and moves closer still.

"I also want to thank you for agreeing to talk to the Jarl. I would go myself but I need to stay here and make sure my family is safe, just in case that dragon shows up again." I nod.

"It's nothing. I was headed there anyway." _Well, that's not true. But he doesn't need to know that._ He is quiet for a bit and I wade in a bit further, the water now up to my shoulders.

"Mind if I join you?" I start at the odd request.

"Sure." I hear him undress behind me, and hear the thud as his heavy armor hits the dirt.

"Ahh, that's much better." He states as he eases into the water beside me. He flashes me a lopsided grin as I marvel at how easily he enters the water.

"Aren't you cold?" He looks at me with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Are you? I thought you were half Nord."

"I am, but Bosmer are not accustomed to the cold." He nods in understanding.

"The cold doesn't bother us Nords. We're used to it. Eventually that Nord in you should kick in and you'll be stomping through the snow with the best of us."

"Well I should damn well hope so." He laughs and watches as I scrub at the blood and ash matted in my hair. He looks away when I catch him staring and I narrow my eyes at him playfully. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Hmph."

"You are so beautiful." He muses after some time. I have just finished scrubbing out my hair as he says this, and I pause momentarily caught off guard. He looks over at me. "You are." I blush and move to leave the water.

"Well thank you." I stammer out. He reaches out and brushes my arm slightly and I stop and look back at him. "I should really be going to bed, I want to be in Whiterun by midday. He nods letting his hand fall and stares up at the moons as I hurriedly get dressed. I gather my belongings to me and pause, watching him before I leave him. I make my way to the inn and once inside I let out the breath I didn't know I had been holding. _That was a close one. He seems nice enough, but it's too soon..._ I approach the innkeeper who smiles kindly at me. She leads me to my room and asks me if I would like something to eat. I politely refuse, but ask her if she could see about waking me up at first light. She nods and closes the door behind her and I've barely kicked off my boots before sleep claims me.

                                                                                                                            ***

I wake up to the sound of screaming and dimly realize its my own. I bolt up and brush myself off, trying to shake off the visions of chains, dark rooms, and blood slicked tools. The innkeeper busts through the door a moment later, brandishing an axe and I apologize repeatedly before gathering up my things to leave. The woman seems concerned and tries to get me to stay for at least a meal, but I need to be out of this stuffy place. I quickly ask for directions to Whiterun and she tells me to follow the road, marking the way on a map and handing it to me. "Thank you so much. I would stay but I really must be off. I have to warn the Jarl about the Dragon." She stiffens and ushers me out the door, all the color in her face gone.

"Good luck on your journey! Come back and see us sometime!"

"Will do Delphine, and could you please tell Alvor thank you for me, and tell him I'm sorry I didn't stay but I felt it necessary to address this problem as soon as possible."

"I will, travel safely." With that she closes the door behind her and I breath a sigh of relief into the night air. I hear the pad of paws on the cobblestone and I look over as the Dire wolf falls into step beside me. I find myself wondering if this creature is a girl or a boy. I bend down to check and it huffs noisily at me.

"A girl huh? Well I'm glad to have you with me." She snorts again and continues a steady pace as I stand back up. I catch up to her and we walk in companionable silence. _It really sucks I couldn't stay in town longer. I really wanted to investigate that Barrow._ I thought some more about accidentally running into Hadvar and thought better of it. _Ok I don't want to investigate it_ that _bad..._ I smile at myself and look at my map. I trace the line representing the road to Windhelm with my finger, and I feel something like fate tugging at my soul. _I need to get there soon. I really, really do._ I turn my attention back towards my surroundings and gasp as I spot the bright lights in the distance. The castle where the Jarl must live shining in the moonlight. _It's beautiful._ I pick up my pace and watch as the city grows larger the closer to it I get. I have just passed by a place called Honningbrew Meadery when the sound of combat greets my ears. I grab for my bow and race towards the noise. In the light from the oncoming day I can see a large man and two smaller females taking on a Giant. I watch as the female with the bow releases an arrow into the beasts eye and cringe as it howls in pain. I notch an arrow and let it fly, embedding itself into the spot at the base of its skull. The creature falls silent and sways slightly, before falling face forward. I run towards the people, throwing the bow over my shoulders. "Are you all ok? That was one hell of a fight!" The female with the bow looks me up and down before answering.

"You are very impressive with a bow."

"Thank you. Are any of you wounded? I know a bit of healing magic."

"That won't be necessary. We are fine. We are part of the Companions."

"Who are the Companions?" Her eyes widen in disbelief and she explains who they are. She offers to take me with them to see their Harbinger Kodlak, but I politely refuse.

"Well, if you want to join we are in Jorrvaskr. Talk to our Harbinger and he will judge your worth." She glances over at the Direwolf beside me and bows her head slightly in respect of the animal. "That is a fine creature you have with you." Her eyes narrow and her brow furrows and she shakes her head. "Never forget to respect an animal like that. They do not give their allegiance easily." The piques my curiosity, but before I can question her about what she knows about her, she has turned and joined her fellow Companions. _Strange woman._ I glance over at the Dire wolf.

"I suppose I need to give you a name. It won't do to just call you Dire wolf all the time." She looks up at me and I am surprised by how familiar her eyes seem. She cocks her head and I shake off the feeling as I search the Giant for special items. I vaguely recall Rilla telling me about the alchemical properties about Giant's toes and how rare they are. Grabbing my dagger and a stray potato sack, I get to work sawing off the Giant's toes. After I am done I tie up the bag and carry it alongside me as I search for a water source to wash my hands in. As I approach the gates to the city I see a Khajiit merchant's tent and make my way over there. The man Ri'saad eyes the sack greedily and pays me 1000 gold for my trouble. He eyes my companion and I can see the wheels turning between his ears.

"How much for the animal? Ri'saad will make it worth your while, he assures you." The wolf growls and snaps at the merchants outstretched hand and the man pulls his hand back quickly.

"She's not for sale. Sorry." I say as I walk up to the gates. The sun has just risen over the land as a guard stops me.

"Hold, Whiterun is not open to visitors at the moment. Important business only."

"I have news from Helgen about the Dragon attack." The guard blanches and ushers me through the door.

"Go straight to Dragonsreach and tell the Jarl what you've seen." I nod and thank him and make my way through town. I stop at the inn to clean myself up before climbing the steps to the palace. I push open one of the heavy doors and beckon for the wolf to follow me inside. I am stopped at the top of the stairs by and angry looking Dumner.

"What business do you have with the Jarl? Why did the guards let you through?"

"Riverwood calls for the Jarl's aid. I also have news about the attack on Helgen." Her eyes widen and she grabs my arm gently pulling me alongside her.

"Yes, I can see why the guards let you through. The Jarl will want to hear this." It is then that I find myself standing before a very imposing man seated on a throne, a dragon's skull hanging above his head. I briefly explain why I came to him and breathe a sigh of relief as he sends a contingent of guards to protect Riverwood, despite his Imperial advisors protests. I inform him about the Dragon and he nods grimly before taking me aside.

"Come with me, I have a job for you." He leads me to the office of his court mage Farengar. The animated man directs me to Bleak Falls Barrow, and wishes me luck. I smile to myself, pleased with the fact that I was going to be investigating that Barrow after all. _I hope Hadvar is gone before I get there. With the guards showing up any minute now, he will be free to leave._ I look over at my companion and smile down at her.

"So how do you feel about the name Rilla?"

                                                                                                                        ***

I let out a low whistle as I get the chance to appreciate the view. I pile all the recently acquired loot into my pack neatly and smile down at it. _This will fetch a good price at the store._ I pile all the weapons together and tie them with some string and leave them at the base of a pillar. The fight with the bandits was almost too easy, they obviously weren't expecting company all the way up here, and Rilla was a more than efficient distraction for the sneak attack I had planned. I ignore the twinge of guilt as I look at one of the fallen bandit's faces, eyes glazed over with a hole in their chest where I ripped the arrow out. I shake my head and cover the weapons with snow to be collected later. I crack the door to the barrow open and usher Rilla inside as I follow close behind, and ease the door closed. It is surprisingly warm in here, and I can barely hear the snow storm raging outside. Rilla lets out a low growl as the sounds of talking greets out ears. I hush her and sneak closer, trying to make out what they were saying.

"But what if he takes the loot and runs?" the woman's voice is low and sounds annoyed.

"He's too much of a coward, besides. This is the only way out. He's not going anywhere. You worry too much." She sighs and I watch her shadow jump as she throws up her hands.

"Alright, you win. I'm going to lay down. Wake me when he gets back." I wait a good thirty minutes before I am sure she is asleep, and I creep forward. Luckily, the man moves to the corner to relieve himself as I approach the sleeping female. A quick thrust with my blade to the sweet spot at the base of her skull kills her quickly and silently, and she doesn't have time to wake to feel any pain. The man finishes and I quickly scramble back to my hiding place, the man none the wiser. He sighs and sits by the fire, his back to me as I creep towards him. I place my blade on his throat and hold him close. He opens his mouth to call out to his female companion, but she does not respond. I press the blade a little harder on his skin and he quiets.

"Don't bother. She's already dead. Don't worry. She didn't feel a thing." He starts to tremble in fear and I laugh gently in his ear. "Now, what's this about treasure I hear?"

"Arvel knows more about that than me! I swear!" I sigh and slit his throat. After rifling through his and the woman's pockets and stripping them of their armor I make my way down the stairs...

                                                                                                                                ***

  _God that Arvel guy is a royal ass._ I rip through the last two draugr in the room and make my way through the double doors to where Arvel is waiting for me, frantically trying to open the puzzle door. I stand and approach him and he cowers in fear and tries to bolt out of the room through the door I came in from. I trip him and throw him over, straddling him as I place my goo coated blade at his throat. He gags at the smell of the rancid draugr's blood. "Give me the key to the door." He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a golden dragon's claw. I furrow my brows. "What the hell is this?"

"Th...the key." He stammers.

"How do I open the door?"

"I..I don't kn...know, I swear!"

"Where did you get this?" he swallows under my blade.

"From that shop in RIverwood. I stole it." I smile grimly at him.

"Are you going to cause me any more trouble if I let you go?" His eyes widen hopefully.

"No!! I swear I'll leave as quick as I can!" I nod once and release him. As he scrambles to his feet I leave him with some last parting words.

"Make sure we never cross paths again." He nods and runs out the door as I puzzle over the dragons claw. I flip it over in my hand and I see raised discs set in the palm of the claw. _A bear, a moth, and an owl... hmmm._ I look up at the door. _Surely it can't be that easy._ I press the keystones until they are in the proper order and I press the claws into the holes and turn it. I hear a loud click and the door begins to shake, causing dust to fall from the ceiling as the rumbling of ancient gears shakes the barrow. As the door opens a gust of stale air hits me and I cough in the wave of ancient dust. When the door has finally fallen silent I step through and make my way forward deeper into the undisturbed tomb...

                                                                                                                                    ***

 I wipe my blade clean as I travel over the walkway to the giant wall and prominently placed coffin. As I reach the top of the steps, I turn my gaze over to the wall with strange markings. I feel something in my mind shift and my vision blurs. _Is... is that word_ glowing? _No, that's impossible._ I find myself growing closer and closer to it as my blood burns and my head aches with a vicious tugging sensation. My hand drifts up without my doing so and I find myself tracing the markings in the wall. The buzzing in my ears grows louder as the word gets brighter, and I feel a sudden influx of knowledge and power slam into me. My blood boils and churns and everything in me screams for it to stop, but I can't move. I collapse onto the ground as the glowing stops, and my vision returns to normal, and my racing heart quiets as does the buzzing in my ears. The pain has gone, but in its place is the fiercest hunger for _more_. I marvel at this and move to stand as the sound of a long sealed stone lid slides to the floor behind me. I pause and take a deep breath before turning around. The sound of shriveled feet hitting the stone greets my ears with a resounding _thud_ as the creature turns it's glowing, soulless eyes on me. I stand fully and grab my bow, notching an arrow. Before I can release it, the creature speaks and the force of his words throws me to the ground and my bow skids away from my grip. The unholy being grabs its great sword from its sheath and advances as I regain my footing. "What in Oblivion are you?" A long stroke in the place where my neck was is my only answer and I grab my daggers. Rilla runs behind the creature and pounces, grabbing it's neck in her powerful jaws. The draugr barely flinches and shakes her off, throwing her to the floor as I dart through him with my blades. I turn to face him as he opens his mouth once more. I roll out of the way as he sends the shelf behind me flying across the cave, where it smashes against a far wall. I take a more measured approach and circle it slowly as it rolls its shoulders back, waiting for me to make my move. He darts at me and I am forced back as he brings his sword down. I am now pinned against the coffin, barely anywhere to move when it raises its sword again. I have no choice but to block, crossing my daggers ad bracing myself as he brings it barreling down. I catch it and my arms scream with pain as the force of the blow shakes my whole being. I push back, causing his form to falter, and that's all the opening I need. I run to him, dagger angled just so, and I throw the both of us to the ground, forcing the dagger in and up and using the force of the fall to reach his heart. The feral light in his empty eyes flickers out as he breathes his last putrid breath. I gag on the scent and loot his corpse, finding nothing. Upon searching his coffin, I find what I am looking for, the so called dragon stone. There seems to be a strange pattern etched on its surface but I quickly remember its not my business and stuff it in my bag. I look back at the word wall one last time as I make my way back through the barrow. _What did that thing do to me?_ I am greeted, once again, with silence and I sigh at the fickle nature of the voice. _I suppose I'll find out eventually._ I step lightly through the halls and over the corpses I left in my wake and smile down at Rilla. "We make a good team don't we girl?" She looks up at me and snorts. I take that as a yes and continue on. When we finally reach the doors I throw them open and take a deep breath of the frigid night air. I find the pillar I left the weapons at and throw the bundle over my shoulder and make my way down the mountain and into town. When I enter the Sleeping Giant Inn, I am greeted to the smell of warm venison stew. The bard Sven smiles at me as I saunter in and make my way to the counter. "Is Delphine in?" Orgnar shakes his head.

"No she left at around midday today, said she was traveling and would be back in about three days. She's probably out hunting again. She gets restless, you know?" I nod and pout a bit.

"Alright, well then I'd like a room and a pot of that stew you've got over there. He nods and I pay him for the room and food and make my way through the door. I fling my bag onto the bed and stuff the weapons into the wardrobe. I have just gotten changed when there is a knock on my door. I open it and smile at Orgnar as he hands me the stew. I take it and sit by the fire while Sven plays the lute. I eye Embry as he nods to Orgnar for another drink and sip at my stew. It is warm and hearty and I am surprised to find potatoes mixed in. After I have eaten my fill, I lay the bowl down on the floor next to me so Rilla can have a meal as well. She scarfs it down quickly, and licks her chops when she has finished. She yawns and places her head on my knee as I listen to Sven play his rather sad song. After a time, I start to feel uncomfortable. Like someone is staring at me. It is then I realize that Hadvar has been in the room the whole time. I clear my throat and rouse Rilla, much to her dismay, and scoop up the empty bowl. I leave it at the counter and thank Orgnar for the meal before retiring to my room. I close the door behind me and lock it, shaking with nervous energy. _Damn it, I had really hoped he would be gone by now._ I climb into bed and settle in as Rilla claims the spot at my feet. I hear approaching footsteps and I quickly put out the candle, throwing the room into darkness. I hear the footsteps stop at my door for what seems like forever, before they finally turn and walk away. I quickly fall into a restless sleep.

                                                                                                                           ***

"So, I heard you were missing something. Does this look familiar?" I hold up the Golden Claw, and the man named Lucan gasps in amazement.

"You found it! Thank you so much friend! Here's some money for your trouble. As for this, this is going right back where it belongs." He places the dragon claw neatly on the empty counter, and I smile kindly at him as he excitedly meets my eyes. "So what else can I do for you miss?"

"Isobelle. And I was wondering if you would be interested in a few items I picked up recently." I haul my overflowing bag onto the counter and lay it all out neatly. HE looks up at me surprised.

"This is an awful lot of armor. Where'd you get all this?" I grimace slightly and clear my throat.

"Trust me, it's better you not know. I'm just hoping it's worth all the trouble I went to." He nods and doles out 5 healing potions and 500 in gold. I scoop it up and throw it into my coin purse and place the curatives into my nearly empty pack. _I need to enchant this one to hold all my stuff._ I mull over how much that task will take out of me, but decide it is worth it. "Thank you very much Sir."

"Have a great day! Come back and see us sometime!" I wave at him before closing the door behind me. I take a steadying breath and walk up the steps to Alvor.

"Hello Alvor." He starts and looks up at me.

"Isobelle! We were worried when we couldn't find you. Why did you leave so suddenly?" I clear my throat.

"Didn't Delphine tell you? I couldn't sleep so I decided to head out then. It was close enough to morning anyway." He nods and places his hammer down. "I wanted to thank you for the armor and weapons. That was very generous of you."

"Well you did keep my nephew alive." I smile at that. "So what brought you back here?" I throw down the weapons I tied together and cut the ties.

"Would you be interested in taking some of this stuff off my hands?" He smiles.

"You just took a month's worth of work off my hands with this. Of course I'm interested." He hands me a full quiver of steel arrows and 200 gold before sending me on my way. I thank him and turn to walk away. "Good seeing you again."

"Good seeing you too! Take care." He nods and gets back to work as I walk through town. Rilla falls into step with me once again as we cross over the bridge. "Where did you run off to?" She barely glances up and I laugh. "Don't tell me then, keep your secrets." She huffs and picks up the pace, forcing me to jog alongside her. I faintly hear my name being called out and she huffs again. I recognize the voice as Hadvar's and I realize she had been watching him for me. _Thank the Divines for good friends_. I laugh to myself as we slow our pace. "You are really great, you know that?" She looks up at me fondly and wags her tail. _Now to give this stone to the wizard, and maybe then we can head to Windhelm...._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK this took me forever to write this it felt like, and I struggled through some pretty bad writers block for a second there. It's not so much that I don't know where it's going, it's just really hard to get there, and I am getting only slightly impatient lol XD. But seriously, Hadvar is nice but homegirl is sooo not ready to hop right back onto that metaphorical pony. *wink*wink* (Insert forced laugh at horrible joke) This next chapter is probably going to be much shorter, but I will finally be getting to the part I've been waiting for, so it may come pretty soon. Ok, I'll stop talking now. Love you guys and thanks for reading!!!


	5. Strange Voices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world really has gone mad if everyone else starts hearing strange voices. Isobelle learns something very interesting, but may be more than she can handle at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sooooo excited for this chapter!!!! ~.~ Now we are finally getting to the place it starts getting good.

I knew something was different the second I stepped into Dragon's reach. I look over to my right to see a rather panicked looking guard shouting about seeing a flying daedra. I feel the blood leave my face and I hurry up the steps to Farengar's study. _Oh Gods, the bloody Dragon is back._ I enter the room to find the wizard talking in a low voice to a hooded woman. I try to make out her face, but only her mouth is visible. _I swear I know her from somewhere..._ I clear my throat and hold out the Dragon Stone.

"Ah! I see you are a cut above the average brutes the Jarl sends my way. I hope you didn't go to too much trouble to get this. This is a very important part of my research." He hands me 300 gold and I put it in my coin purse as the strange woman looks me up in down. I can feel her skeptical gaze running over my body as if measuring my worth.

"You got this?" Her voice shows a surprise that does not match her demeanor. I nod and turn to Farengar, keeping my eye on her through my peripheral.

"So is there anything else you needed from me?"

"No, but I do believe the Jarl wanted to see you." I nod and leave the room. I start to make my way to the throne when I realize it is empty. It is at that moment that Irileth comes barreling down the stairs.

"Farengar! You need to come at once. A dragons been sighted nearby." she looks over at me with a grim determination in her eyes found only in the battle ready. "You should come too." She motions for us to move, and we do so at a brisk pace, quickly approaching the base of the stairs.

"A dragon! How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?" His excitement is clear to the both of us and I hear her make a noise in the back of her throat that sounds quite disdainful.

"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you. If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun I don't know if we can stop it." We charge up the stairs to find the Jarl waiting for us, clearly agitated, and talking to a very exhausted guard.

"So, Irileth tells me you came from the Western Watchtower?"

"Yes my lord." Irileth stands beside the man and places a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Tell him what you told me. About the dragon." At this the man starts to shake visibly and his voice wavers with every word.

"Uh... that's right. We saw it coming from the South. It was fast... faster than anything I've ever seen."

"What did it do? Is it attacking the watchtower?"

"No, my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I never ran so fast in my life... I thought it would come after me for sure." The Jarl sighs and nods.

"Good work, son. We'll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it." The Jarl pinches the bridge of his nose as the guard leaves, turning to Irileth.

"Irileth, you'd better gather some guardsmen and get down there."

"I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate."

"Good, don't fail me." bows respectfully and turns to leave.

"There's no time to stand on ceremony, my friend. I want you to go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon. You survived Helgen, so you have more experience with dragons than anyone else here." I bow my head and turn to follow Irileth.

"Yes my Jarl."

"I should come along. I would very much like to see this dragon." Farengar pleads as we make our way to the stairs.

"No. I can't afford to risk both of you. I need you here working on ways to defend this city against these dragons. As for you, Irileth. This isn't a death or glory mission..." she cuts him off with a certain tone of fondness in her voice that it hard to catch, but definitely _there._

"Don't worry, my lord. I am the very soul of caution." Together we jog down the stairs and out into the streets of Whiterun. Hushed, panicked whispers flit about all around us as people shut themselves inside their homes. I eye the wooden structures skeptically. _These homes will serve as nothing more than their tombs if the dragon does see fit to attack this place._ I leave Irileth to speak to her men, opening the gate wide and stepping away from the oppressive atmosphere. As I follow the path slowly, waiting for Irileth and her men to catch up to me, I am struck by how quiet everything suddenly is, as if the whole world is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Even the birds have fallen silent, and I find myself deeply unnerved by this unnatural silence. I hear Rilla's paws padding alongside me, but I take small comfort in her presence. I suddenly feel very small, and have the prickling sensation of being watched by many, many eyes. I swallow nervously and continue towards the tower, quickening my pace. After a time I hear the sounds of many feet running my way. I start up at a jog and fall into step with Irileth. As we run, I lean a little closer and speak to her in low tones.

"Everything is entirely too quiet." She considers this for a moment before nodding her head in conformation. I can feel the uneasiness in the guardsmen as they search for any sign of the dragon. We stop a ways off from the tower and survey the damage.

"Well, it certainly looks as if a dragon has been here. But where is it now?" I scan the skies as she orders her men to fan out and search for survivors. Climbing up the ramp to the tower entrance, I peer inside to find a dark and dusty haze.

"No! You have to hide! It's coming back!" I start at the sudden appearance of the horribly injured man. I rush to his side, healing spell fresh on my lips when I hear it. A large gust of wind fans the already raging fires, and the man and I exchange horrified, knowing glances.

"The dragon! It's here!" I shout as I hustle the man into the broken tower. He quakes with pure terror as the screeching roar echoes through the valley. I pull out my bow and rush out the door, coming face to face with the beast, it's breath hot against my face. The name rushes through my lips, a whisper of a prayer, and I start at this hidden knowledge. "Mirmulnir..." his yellow eyes widen slightly, before he roars and throws me to the side. I hit the ground with a resounding _thud_ that echoes through my whole body. He takes off into the sky, a trail of fire blazing through his angry jaws. I rise to my feet trying to catch my breath as he swoops down and grabs one of the guards into his powerful jaws, shaking his head back and forth before throwing his half dismembered body into the air. I feel a rush of startling anger as he seems to laugh.

"I had forgotten what fine sport you mortals can provide!" He shouts as I let an arrow fly. He screams in pain as my arrow lodges itself in between the scales above his eye. He turns to me, and I feel my blood boil with excitement as he snarls and bathes the ground where I had been standing in fire.

"Mirmulnir! Come and face me if you have the nerve Dovah!" I shout towards the great beast, using my hidden knowledge to surprise the beast, and me, further.

"Dreh ni tinvaak dii for sahlag joor!" _Do not speak my name pathetic mortal!_ I almost gasp in shock as I make out what he had been saying. _How can I understand him?_ I have no time to contemplate my newfound knowledge as his tail comes crashing down. I grab for my daggers and spin out of the way, my left leg burning as one of the spines of his tail slices through my armor and opens a shallow gash on my thigh. I dart in quick, daggers dancing, coating the ground with blood as the sharp metal rends through the softer underside of his belly. He roars in rage and pain and makes a grab for me, but I use that to my advantage, swinging myself up his arm and onto his back, using the spines of his back to clamber my way up. He flaps his wings in a blind fury, hauling us both up into the sky. My head swims with the dizzying sensation of lifting into the air, with nothing to stop me from falling to my death. Mirmulnir seems to sense this, and he bucks mid air, trying to throw me off but to no avail. In response, I slam my daggers into either side of his spine, angling inwards and twisting, hanging on for dear life as he barrel rolls and slams into the ground. We slide forward, the force of the impact throwing me from him and leaving his head half buried in rock and dirt. I stand on shaking legs and move to retrieve my daggers when he throws his head up once more. He sees me and I make a mad dash for my dagger, sidestepping his snapping jaws and angry wings as he tries to take off once more. I grab his wing and grapple with the smooth surface until my hands find traction and I pull myself back on top of him using the joint of his wing. I rip my daggers from his spine and climb over his ever twisting neck as he tries to simultaneously shake me off and bite me in half. He gives another hard shake of his head as I reach the base of his skull and straddle the sides of his neck, trying to get the right angle to end this as fast as possible. I get a golden opportunity as he pauses to breath fire at the rest of the guards who are trying to distract him. In that brief moment, I lunge forward with all my might, severing his spinal cord in one final strike. The resulting _boom_ of the great beasts dead weight hitting the ground shakes the very foundation of the tower, and the world falls silent again. I lay my head against the back of his skull and catch my breath as the pounding of blood in my ears fades slowly.

"Well fought. Very well fought. Aedra take you." I leave his once great form and walk towards the rather impressed looking guards feeling weak, exhausted and so very _sad_ that such a powerful and magnificent beast, although highly dangerous, was reduced to a crumpled mass of empty scales and flesh. I have barely made it five feet away when it hits me with such force that I am knocked to the ground. I open my eyes to find warm golden light dancing about my skin, teasing me with its power and weaving itself into my hair. I soak it in hungrily, greedily, and let out a soft sigh as the overwhelming power calms down and nestles inside, gently bringing forth hidden knowledge and unlocking the path to my fate. **Speak the word my child. Let them taste your power.** Her normally soft voice is loud and commanding in my mind, and I scramble to my feet, twisting away from the soldiers before I speak the word, it's deadly power whooshing through my lips and wreaking havoc on the surrounding plant life. My eyes widen in amazement as I survey the small crater the shout had caused. _More, I want more._ **And you shall have it child. Your thirst for knowledge will not go unquenched.** Suddenly I waned to know everything, learn it all, soak it up like a rag and revel in it. And the  _power_ the pury force of fury I let pass through my lips would ensure I would never have to be afraid again. People would stand before me and tremble in fear and I would be free of my stepfather. Free of his tyranny and free of the chains my mother would see me trapped in. The thought is both liberating and terrifying, and I swear to myself then that I wont let it corrupt me. I will use this power to do good things, to help people who need it. No one will have to fear me, unless they have done wrong to another. I whip away from the guards surrounding me, still talking in a daze. I barely hear the word _Dragonborn_ as I make my way back to Whiterun to support my success. It is then, as I am halfway up the steps to Dragonsreach, that the booming shout comes, shaking the very ground with its force.

"Dohvakiin." They say, for the voice is not of one man, but four. The people around me start in confusion and I realize they all heard it too. _Hmm, I should be the only one hearing voices. This is very strange...._ I throw open the doors to Dragonsreach and march proudly up to the Jarl. He has already finished speaking with a guard that looks very familiar...

"Yes, she _shouted!_ I've never seen anything like it! Like something out of the old tales..." The Jarl thanks him and waves him off as I approach the throne.

"So... you killed the Dragon. And I heard it was mostly done singlehandedly. My men have seen nothing like it. They are all quiet... taken with you." I blush and start to refute it but he raises his hand. "You did very well, and in honor of your Service, I hereby name you Thane. An honorary title, but it does grant you certain privileges that most don't have, and I am granting you Lydia as your personal Housecarl. Talk to Proventus about purchasing a house here." I nod graciously and bow.

"Thank you my lord."

"That is not all. I assume you heard the Greybeards a few moments ago?" I furrow my brow in confusion and he sighs. "The Greybeards are masters of the voice. They call to the Dragonborn to train them in the way of the voice. Something you are going to need if the story about you is true." I open and close my mouth, but no sound comes out. "It is an honor to be invited to High Hrothgar. They don't take many visitors. You need to go to Ivarstead and make the pilgrimage. Lydia can lead you there if you have any trouble." I nod mutely and stare at the spot above his head, desperately wanting to run, but knowing it would do me no good. "And with that, I bid you farewell. The stables have been instructed to grant you their two finest horses so you can be on your way."

"Thank you, my lord. You do me much honor." He nods and turns to Irileth, who showed up at some point during my audience with the Jarl. I feel sick as I turn and hurry down the steps and out to the stables. I thank the man at the stables and tie my pack to the saddle before mounting the horse, and riding away from High Hrothgar and the Greybeards. 


	6. Making Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Windhelm is a bastion of racism, but one can find friends even in the strangest of places

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK.... so. I am terrible. I know, I know, and I'm so so sorry. College life has got me super busy, plus work, plus other stuff. SO yea. But I still love yall and I love this story and I am so excited to be starting up on it again!

The trees rush by in a blur as my mare heaves onward and I can feel her steps faltering. I remain surprised by how long I was able to push her. I ease her to a stop as we round yet another bend in the road. It has been a full day of riding and we are well into Eastmarch. I dismount and lead my mare to the river away from the road. I am setting up camp when I hear a familiar rustling sound.

“Rilla? Is that you?” My question is quickly answered as she leaps out of the bushes and bounds to my side, nosing me and whining. “I’m alright girl, I’m just fine.” She whines in response and collapses at my feet, panting tiredly. I immediately regret not thinking of the strain my speedy getaway would put on her. “I’m so sorry girl, I shouldn’t have taken off so quickly, and I should’ve waited for you to catch up.” She stares up meaningfully at me as if to say ‘It’s alright, I get it.’ I smile at her sadly and get back to work setting up camp. It does not take long for night to fall, and as I lay down in my tent to sleep, I can’t help but be uncomfortable in my own skin. _What could it mean? The Dragonborn are just a myth, right? Although, the Septims were said to be Dragonborn as well._ I stare up at the stars through the entrance of my tent, focusing on the steady breaths of Rilla, and the soft whoosh of my mounts tail brushing through the sparse grass. I shiver and cuddle closer to Rilla, taking comfort in the wolf’s warm fur. _Surely the Divines would not choose one as broken as me to be someone of such importance. You’d think they’d not waste their time on a damaged mortal such as I._ **_Hush child, and rest. You will need to be strong for the days to come._** I roll my eyes at her cryptic voice. _Why should I listen to you? You are merely a voice in my head, further proof of how much power Sheogorath has over me._ I feel her laugh in my mind, and a shiver runs through me. **_Oh, my darling child. You are not as touched as you may think. Now. Sleep, and see what tomorrow brings._** I hear the soft echoes of a song long forgotten in my mind, and allow myself to be lulled to sleep.

The next morning is cold, but I wake feeling more rested than I have in weeks. I smile down at the still sleeping Rilla and rise to stoke the fire. I gather up the camp an hour later and mount my mare. I look down at Rilla and spur the horse into movement. The next few days pass like this, each night I stretch out under the stars, contemplating the cryptic words of my formless companion, and rest easier than ever, foreign lullabies ringing in my mind. It takes me three days to get to Windhelm, and I could not be more surprised by what I find there.

I pay ten gold to stable the horse I decide to name Willow, after her strength and beauty, and I stride over the bridge and up to the gate. The guardsmen eye me warily, taking note of my pointed ears and large slanted eyes, obvious indicators of my Bosmer breeding. I step into the gates, Rilla in tow, only to find two Nord men, obviously drunk, harassing a Dumner woman. I listen as they accuse her of being an Imperial spy, and wonder, not for the first time, if this rebellion is true or not. To these men, however, it quite obviously is very real. I make to avoid them, not wanting to get into a fight after being here only five seconds, but stop as soon as the larger man takes a threatening step towards her.

“Maybe we’ll pay you a visit tonight, little spy. We have ways of finding out what you really are.” She sighs in response and the man stomps away in a huff. I move over to her and lightly tap her on the shoulder. When she jumps I take a cautious step back.

“Are you alright? Did those men try to hurt you?” She looks me up and down and shakes her head no. We regard each other once more before she turns fully to face me. Her eyes narrow slightly as she sizes both myself and my wolf.

“Do you hate the dark elves? Are you here to bully us and tell us to leave?” I am shocked by her question at first, until I realize that she is probably used to people feigning concern to get her guard down, only to use it against her. It probably doesn’t help that I’m half Nord either. I smile at her kindly, subconsciously placing a hand on Rilla’s head.

“No I do not, I have no reason to.” She nods, accepting this.

“You’ve come to the wrong city, then. Windhelm’s a haven of prejudice and narrow thinking, unworthy of one such as you.” I nod in understanding, thinking back upon the obvious stares of the guards on my way in.

“So it seems. If you’d like, I could take care of your problem for you.” I gesture to where the threatening man had been standing. “I have no patience for men such as that, who threaten and abuse women.” I shudder, memories of a darker time flitting across my vision like so many bats chased from a cave. The woman smiles kindly and gestures for me to follow. We fall into step, going down a slope into an obviously neglected part of town, the very walls cracking in places.

“This is the Grey Quarter. I live here with my two brothers, you may call them Fennic and Alec.” I start at that, realizing that she is not giving away their true names.

“And what may I call you?” She smiles at my careful wording, and we share a wry smile of silent understanding.

“You may call me Sydaris.” She leads me past a quiet tavern, and up a flight of steps into what appears to be her home. She unlocks the door and leads me inside, gesturing for me to sit as she locks the door behind her. I take a seat in a well-worn chair by the fire and she soon joins me, tea in hand as Rilla settles by the door. Sydaris looks over curiously at her, and turns her questioning gaze to me. I give her a sheepish grin.

“That is Rilla, a Direwolf. We, ran into each other, I suppose, as I was crossing the border from Valenwood into Skyrim. We’ve been companions ever since.” She smiles kindly at me and eyes me further.

“There is more to this story, I can tell.” I laugh at her accurate observation and find myself start to relax as the conversation takes a more pleasant turn.

“So, when did your family move to Windhelm?” She sighs and leans back into her chair.

“Oh, I’d say about ten years ago. The Red mountain had just destroyed one of our cities, and we had to flee before it reached us. I can still see the ash sometimes, in my dreams.” I nod in understanding. Terrible things have a way of writing themselves upon you, a scar to remind you of what you walked away from. “And you? Are you new to Skyrim?” I nod, taking a sip of the warm Jasmine tea.

“Yes, I’d say I’ve only been in the country for a fortnight, at most.” She turns a shocked gaze over to me.

“And why would your first destination be here, I wonder?” I clear my throat nervously.

“I am looking for someone. I was told he would be here.” Her eyebrows shoot up.

“He? Color me intrigued. Was he a past love affair? A longtime friend gone astray?” I shake my head.

“Nothing so complicated as that, I assure you.” She cocks her head and leans forward a bit, obviously interested.

“So who is he?” I purse my lip and try to find the right words to say that won’t get me kicked out. I sigh in defeat, and decide to tell her. I find myself enjoying her company, and it has been too long since I have confided in another.

“My father. My mother left when she still carried me within her. I doubt he even knows I exist, but I’d like to try anyway.”

“Did she ever tell you why she left?”

“She claimed that she wanted me to be raised in Valenwood, and given a proper upbringing.”

“But you don’t believe her.” I shake my head again.

“No… Yes… I don’t know. That’s what I’m here to find out though. I couldn’t stay in Valenwood any longer. You should see how half breeds such as me, especially the Half-Nords are treated among the nobility.” I wring my hands in anger. She nods, and her gaze goes somewhere distant.

“Yes, they are treated rather unfairly in Morrowind as well. But you say among the nobility? I take it your mother was a noble then?”

“No. She was a simple farmer, but my stepfather ran across her ad had to marry her. I was the black sheep in their happy flock.”

“I see. I can see why you would want to leave that life.” Sydaris goes to stand and I follow her lead. “Well, I thank you for the conversation. It has been a whole since I have had a good talk with someone other than my brothers.” I smile kindly at her and hand her the cup of tea back. I look outside and see that night has fallen. “Well, I wish you luck in your search. I hope you find who you are looking for.” I thank her and leave, only to come face to face with the man who was harassing Sydaris earlier. I narrow my gaze at him as he takes a startled step back.

“Move out of the way, Halfling bitch. I have business here.” He moves to go past me and I bar the door with my arm, the solid _thud_ of my fist hitting the door frame reverberates around the alley. He looks at me, and I am hit with the acrid scent of ale strong on his breath.

“You may want to rethink those words, stranger. I would not be so quick to anger if I were you.” He scoffs, and Rilla growls behind me, warning him off. I cock my head at him, mocking his startled fear to come face to face with a wolf half the size of him. “If I were you, I would leave. And I would not anger the woman who was so kindly offering me a chance to keep my dignity.”

“You think you can take me?”

“I know I can take you.” He smiles at me, and my stomach churns in disgust.

“Alright Halfling. If I win, you come with me…” He looks me up and down and I repress a shudder.

“And if I win, you stay away from the Grey Quarter and its residents. I trust you still have honor enough to manage that, no?” He bristles and makes to grab me, but I am too quick. I lash out, kicking him in the chest and send him backwards, sprawled out at the foot of the steps. He groans and I give him a chance to catch his breath. He stands and sizes me up once more, clearly surprised by my show of strength. A small crowd has begun to gather now, and I wait for his next move. He tries to feign to my left and I make a show of dodging, right before grabbing his oncoming fist headed straight for my ribcage. Using his forward momentum, I throw him forward and pin his arm behind his back, twisting it back and up. He lets out a muffled cry of pain and I release him with a sharp kick to his side. He stands once more, holding his now bruised thigh, and charges me again. He is very fast for his size and I find myself relishing the challenge. The alley is filled with the sounds of pained grunts and the smacking sound of fists meeting flesh. He is staggering now, swinging wildly and blindly, and I doge every feeble attempt to hit me. This goes on for a full minute before I finally put him out of his misery with a final uppercut to his jaw. His head snaps back, eyes flying open, before they close and he falls onto his back once more. Loud cheers erupt around me and I turn to see Sydaris smiling down at me. I walked back up to her and smiles back. “Well, it looks like you won’t be bothered by the likes of him anymore.” She laughs and shakes my hand fondly.

“Thank you, my friend. If you ever need anything, you just let me know.” I nod and bid her farewell. I make my way back to the main gate and enter Candlehearth hall. I pay for a room and settle in for the night. _Tomorrow. Tomorrow I will find him, and all will be well…_

 


End file.
